A brief interaction between the two on the Parisian practice courts had fans humorously wondering if Sabalenka is ordained to win the 2024 title.

Superstitions aside, Sabalenka has reason to feel confident heading into the clay-court major, where she is seeded No. 2. Twelve months ago, Sabalenka was a point away from reaching the final in Paris, before Karolina Muchova authored an all-time comeback to win their semifinal, saving match point in the process. It was a loss that stuck with Sabalenka, but one she also said she’d come back stronger from.

A year later, with another major title under her belt, Sabalenka has said that she’s betting on herself, even though she lost in the final of both Madrid and Rome to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. The projected resumption of their rivalry will likely be the chief story of the women’s event in Paris.

“Even though I lost these two finals, I mean, I never focus on the past,” Sabalenka said after losing in Rome. “No matter how many times I lose to the player, I know anyway if I’ll be there, if I’ll be fighting, I’ll be focusing on myself, I know that I can get that win. I’m going there with the confiden[ce] that I can do well there.”